Represented by the Director, Development Finance, Mr Olaitan Mudassir, Emefiele said food importation had negative effects on local production industries and created unemployment in the country.

“Indeed, dependence, especially on commodities that have advantage, is not acceptable and sustainable either fiscally, economically or politically. Increasing rice production is a necessity as rice importation proffers no future for any nation in the long term. Nigeria cannot afford to continually depend on imported rice,” he said.

He said the Federal Government banned food importation to boost farming and diversify the nation’s economy adding that the government had mapped out strategies to reduce its import bill on identified commodities by at least 10 per cent annually.

“I firmly believe that Nigeria will no longer be one of the world’s highest importer of rice. It will become an exporter of commodities in medium terms,” he said.